This sounds great. I just got my tech license and have just been messing with the UV-5R radios. The chatter on the local repeaters isn’t boring either.
But I was drawn to ham radio because I am tired of the internet today. I want to get that feeling back like the early internet.
Early internet with bizarre protocols like gopher and finger. You had to know your way around and everyone else put in the effort too. Just a great time in history to connect with someone across the world
Then you will enjoy the digital modes because there are so many different ones that all use different tech to accomplish different tasks. Some are extremely popular (like FT8, which is BY FAR the most popular thing on ham radio, even more than voice), down to very obscure experimental digital modes that very few people use but half the fun is trying to use them and see who else may be out there trying to do the same.
The FCC also just increased the bandwidth limit on HF so I expect a ton of new experimental modes to start popping up in short order.
But I was drawn to ham radio because I am tired of the internet today. I want to get that feeling back like the early internet.
Early internet with bizarre protocols like gopher and finger. You had to know your way around and everyone else put in the effort too. Just a great time in history to connect with someone across the world
HF digital mode sounds like a blast